1   And Samuel seide to Saul, The Lord sente me, that I anoynte thee into kyng vpon his puple Yrael; nowe thanne here the voys of the Lord. 2   Thes thingis seith the Lord of oostis, I haue remembrid alle thingis that Amalech dide to Yrael; what maner wyse he withstood to hym in the weye, whanne he shulde stye vp fro Egipt. 3   Nowe thanne go, and smyte Amalech, and destruy alle the thingis of hym; ne spare thou to hym, ne coueyt thou eny thing of his thingis; but sle fro man vnto womman, and litil child, and soukynge, oxe, and sheep, and camel, and asse. 4   And so Saul comaundide to the puple, and noumbrede hem as loombs two hundrid thousandis of foot men, and ten thowsandis of the men of Juda. 5   And whanne Saul was comen vnto the cyte of Amalech, he leyde out aspies in the streem. 6   And Saul seide to Cynee, Goth hens, goth awey, and departith fro Amalech, lest perauenture I enwrappe thee with hem; forsothe thou didist mercy with alle the sones of Yrael, whanne thei stieden vp fro Egipt. And Cynee wente a wey fro the mydil of Amalech. 7   And Saul smoot Amalech fro Euila, to the tyme that he cam to Sur, that is fro the regioun of Egipt. 8   And he took Agage, the kyng of Amalech, on lyue; forsothe al the comoun he slew&yogh; in the mouth of swerd. 9   And Saul sparide, and the puple, to Agag, and to the best flockis of sheep, and of drouys, and to clothis, and to wetheris, and to alle thingis that weren fayre; ne thei wolden scatere hem; forsothe what thing was foul and reprouable that thei destruyden. 10   Forsothe the word of the Lord is doon to Samuel, seiynge,

It othinkith me, 11   that I haue ordeyned Saul a kyng; for he hath forsokyn me, and my wordis he hath not fulfillid in dede. And Samuel is sory, and cryede to the Lord al ny&yogh;t. 12   And whanne fro ni&yogh;t Samuel was rysen that he go to Saul eerli, it is toold to Samuel, for Saul was comen into Carmeel, and hadde arerid to hym an out shynynge tokne of victory in maner of a bow, and turned was passid, and goon doun into Galgala. Thanne Samuel cam to Saul, and Saul offred brent sacrifice to the Lord of the cheef of the preiys, that he brou&yogh;te fro Amalech. 13   And while Samuel was comen to Saul, Saul seide to hym, Thou blessid of the Lord, Y haue fulfillid the word of the Lord. 14   And Samuel seide, And what is this voys of flockis that rengith in myn eeris, and of droues that I here? 15   And Saul seith, Fro Amalech men han brou&yogh;t thes thingis, forsothe the puple sparede to the betre sheep and drouys, for thei shulden be offrid to the Lord thi God; the tother forsothe we slewen. 16   And Samuel seide to Saul, Suffre me, and I shal shewe to thee what thingis the Lord hath spoken to me to ny&yogh;t. And he seid to hym, Spek. 17   And Samuel seith, Whether not, whanne thou were a litil child in thin owne eyen, and thou art maad heed in the lynage of Yrael, and the Lord anoyntide thee into kyng vpon Yrael; 18   and the Lord sente thee into the weye, and seith, Go, and sle the synful men of Amalech, and thou shalt fi&yogh;t a&yogh;ens hem vnto the slau&yogh;ter of hem. 19   Whi thanne hast thow not herd the voys of the Lord, but turnedist to the preye, and didist yuel in the eyen of the Lord? 20   And Saul seith to Samuel, If I haue herd the voys of the Lord, and haue

goon in the weye bi the which the Lord sente me, and haue brou&yogh;t Agag, the kyng of Amalech, and Amalech Y slewe. 21   Forsothe the puple took of the praye, sheep and oxen, the cheef of hem that ben slayn, that thei offren to the Lord her God in Galgalis. 22   And Samuel seith, Whether wole the Lord brent sacrifices or slayn offryngis, and not more that it be obeishid to the voice of the Lord? Forsothe betre is obeishaunce than slayn sacrificis, and to take heed more than to offre the fatnes of wetheris; 23   for as synne of denyynge bi deuelis is to repugne, and as hidows trespas of mawmetrye to wiln not assent. Forthi thanne that thow hast throwen aweye the word of the Lord, the Lord hath throwen awey thee, that thow be not kyng. 24   And Saul seide to Samuel, Y haue synned, for I haue broken the word of the Lord, and thi wordis, dredynge the puple and obeishynge to the voyce of hem; 25   but nowe, Y biseche, bere my synne, and turne a&yogh;en with me, that I honoure the Lord. 26   And Samuel seith to Saul, Y shal not turne a&yogh;en with thee, for thow hast throwen awey the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath throwen awey thee, that thow be not kyng vpon Irael. 27   And Samuel turnede forto goo awey; forsothe he cau&yogh;te the cop of the mantil of hym, the which also is rent. 28   And Samuel seide to hym, The Lord hath kyt the kyngdam of Yrael fro thee to day, and hath takyn it to thi nei&yogh;bore beter than thow; 29   forsothe to the ouercomer in Yrael he shal not spare, and thur&yogh; a thenkynge he shal not be bowid; forsothe ne a man he is that he do othenkynge. 30   And he seith, Y haue synned; bot nowe honour me before the eldren of my puple, and before

fore Yrael; turne a&yogh;en with me, that I honour the Lord thi God. 13   Thanne Samuel, turned a&yogh;en, folwide Saul, and Saul honourede the Lord. 32   And Samuel seide, Bringith to me Agag, the king of Amalech. And offrid is to him Agag altherfattest tremblynge. And Agag seide, So whether `not seuereth bitter deth? 33   And Samuel seith, As thi swerd hath maad wymmen withouten free children, so thi moder shal be with out free children among wymmen. And Samuel hewide hym into gobbetis before the Lord in Galgalis. 34   Forsothe Samuel &yogh;ede into Ramatha; forsothe Saul stiede vp into his hows in Gabaa. 35   And Saul saw&yogh; no more Samuel vnto the day of his deth; neuerthelater Samuel weilide Saul, for it othou&yogh;t the Lord, that he hadde ordeynyd Saul kyng vpon Irael.

Previous section

Next section